Five Delicious Pairings for Beets That Aren't Goat Cheese

Pop quiz: What do you do with that bunch of beets you picked up at the farmer's market? If you answered, "roast them and sprinkle them with goat cheese," you'd be so very right.

In recent years, that simple and delicious pairing has become almost as iconic as peas and carrots. "When cooking vegetables, I always look to balance sweetness, savory notes, acidity, creaminess, and crunch," said Clotilde Dusoulier, the Paris-based Chocolate and Zucchini blogger and author of The French Market Cookbook. “Goat cheese works well with beets because with just two ingredients, you hit so many things."

So true! And yet it is hardly the whole story. After nibbling on yet another dish of beets dotted with goat cheese, you might even be justified in calling the pair a bit dishwater-dull. Fortunately, beets' earthy flavor makes them a perfect companion for a myriad of other ingredients. Go ahead and mix up your root vegetable routine with these five delicious pairings for beets -- no chèvre allowed.

Citrus"Beets hit a sweet note, so you need something acidic to offset it," said Dusoulier. Enter citrus fruit. Oranges, lemons, grapefruit -- basically any citrus zest or juice helps to enliven beets. You have likely already tried a Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges. But what about swapping in clementines and mint, or drizzling a lemon vinaigrette over crispy crushed beets?